The Night That Changed Everything
by IvoryRhapsody
Summary: Best friends since the day they were born, Naruto and Sasuke were inseparable. But then one night changes everything. NaruSasu


**I haven't written in a long time. Forgive me for any mistakes but you can let me know about them as well.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Sasuke! Sasuke!"

A little blond haired, blue eyed boy came running down a hill in the direction of his friend. He ended up tripping on his shoes and rolling the rest of the way down. When he finally landed, the black haired boy was already next to him, picking out the twigs and grass from his friend's hair.

"You're stupid sometimes, you know that?" He told his friend after helping him up.

The blonde haired boy shook his hair one more time before giving his friend a bear hug.

"No, I'm not. I just missed you, Sasuke!" He said, his voice rising from his excitement and happiness that his best friend was back from a small vacation in the neighboring lands.

Sasuke hugged back, smiling a little. He pulled back and placed his small hands on his friend's shoulders. "I missed you too, Naruto."

"Then come on!" Naruto said, running back up the hill. Sasuke waited a few seconds before grabbing his bag that he had placed on the ground near their feet and sprinted after his friend.

* * *

"Ramen isn't healthy. My mom said so."

Naruto continued to slurp the noodles from his bowl, enjoying every bite. He ignored Sasuke's complaints and it wasn't long before he ordered another bowl. His appetite was unusual for an eight year old boy but everyone was already used to it.

"How's everyone?" Sasuke asked, playing around with the noodles in his bowl before slurping a few. He had been away for two weeks, visiting family in other areas. He protested against the idea, knowing he'd miss two weeks of school and his friends but he was just a child. His wants weren't really factored into the decision.

Naruto stopped eating and looked at Sasuke for a few seconds before grinning. "If you think we forgot about you, you're wrong."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but smiled back. "I know."

"Well," Naruto continued, taking slurps in between, "Sakura still has a huge crush on you and so does Ino. But you're the popular guy so that's not a surprise."

"I know."

The blonde haired boy placed both of his chopsticks on top of the bowl and pulled out some cash to hand to the old man. He refused it and told them both it was on him.

"Ready to go?" Naruto asked Sasuke as he hopped off the stool. Sasuke finished his bowl and joined him.

* * *

Throughout the day, Naruto and Sasuke spent time doing what the other wanted to, taking turns in who's idea first. They went to the library upon Sasuke's request and while Sasuke enjoyed reading, Naruto ended up sliding down the stairs and causing havoc, leading to him being kicked out. Sasuke sighed, joining his friend after checking out a couple of books.

They went to the local arcade where Naruto spent the rest of his entire week's allowance. Sasuke beat him in every game they played and he reveled in that feeling but it was all fun and games.

By sun down, they were just running around the meadow near their homes. Naruto fell down with a huff and laid on his back to watch the sunset. Sasuke sat down next to his blonde friend, occasionally poking him until the other boy swatted his hand away.

He sat up suddenly and locked his eyes on Sasuke's. The raven haired boy's eyes widened slightly, a bit surprised at the suddenness from his friend. He shook out of it when a Sakura blossom fell on his nose. Looking up, he realized it was getting darker, the fireflies were out, the breeze was cool.

"Sasuke?"

Instead of answering, Sasuke looked at Naruto, waiting for him to ask whatever he had in mind.

Naruto gulped and let out a breath as he looked at the sky. "We'll always be best friends, right?"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm sorry!" Naruto said, rubbing his hands in his hair.

Sasuke flicked Naruto on the head and the blonde boy whined before breaking out into a grin.

"It's just, I don't want to be separated from you. You're one of the most important person in my life."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, not saying anything. He looked down, his cheeks slightly pink. He wasn't very good at conveying his feelings like his best friend was.

"I," he started, "You're important to me, too." He avoided Naruto's glance, embarrassed. "Loser."

He didn't need to, to know that Naruto was smiling. He felt two small arms wrap around his equally small body and he returned the hug. He didn't know if Naruto could feel it but his heart was swelling with way too many emotions for him to understand. He didn't want to decipher it because he was afraid of what he might find out.

They laid side by side, watching the stars and engaging in conversations on events happening, their friends and their families until Sasuke heard his mom calling for him and Naruto heard his mother calling for him.

* * *

"Sasuke, how was your day today?" Mikoto asked her son.

They were all at the dinner table, enjoying their meal cooked by her. It was normally quiet during dinner with the infrequent questions to try and spark some conversation. It wasn't awkward. It was different and he liked how quiet his family was. It was their way. Having been to Naruto's house for dinner once, he realized how different they were. Their dinner time was lively, especially when his godfather came around. It was filled with laughter and love, he felt uncomfortable at first but after the couple of times, he felt right at home and sometimes preferred it over his somewhat colder and mundane dinner with his family, save for his mother who tried to create a conversation from time to time.

"It was fine. I just went around with Naruto," he answered, playing with his vegetables. The only ones he already ate were the tomatoes.

"Don't play with your food," his father chided him. He quickly went back to eating the rest of them.

Mikoto smiled and then turned her attention on the eldest brother. "What about you, Itachi? How was your day?"

Itachi shrugged. "It wasn't anything special."

"Of course it was," his father said. "You got accepted into one of the most prestigious middle schools."

Mikoto beamed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Itachi glanced at his younger brother before looking at both his parents. He hated gloating at the dinner table. He knew Sasuke was already trying to follow in his footsteps, ones that weren't very easy to follow. He didn't want Sasuke to feel like his self worth diminished just because his brother seemed to do everything better than anyone else.

"It's really not big of a deal."

"I already told your grandparents. Isn't the opening ceremony next Friday?" Fugaku asked.

Itachi repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah."

Mikoto had gotten up to retrieve something from the fridge.

Sasuke, feeling like he was forgotten for a moment, spoke up. "But next Friday, I was going on a trip with our class. Iruko-sensei -"

"Oh hush, Sasuke. A trip isn't as important as this," Fugaku said as he pulled out his cellphone to call his parents.

"But you said I could go..."

Fugaku waved his hand dismissively and left the table to make the call.

Mikoto came back with a chocolate icing covered cake. It wasn't too large but big enough for all four of them and then some. She gave Itachi a kiss on the cheek and placed the cake in the middle of the table.

"I was saving this for a special occasion but I think it's more fitting for now," she said.

"Mom, I'm really not hungry anymore," Itachi protested.

"You don't have to eat a lot."

Itachi sighed as he watched his mom cut him a slice as well as one for Sasuke. He looked at his younger brother who looked glum. He wasn't very fond of sweets, Itachi knew but he did take a small bite out of the cake.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi whispered so their mother couldn't hear.

Sasuke shook his head, letting Itachi know he understood and that it was ok.

He was used to being the less important one anyway.

* * *

"Come on, Sasuke!"

"I'm trying, dad!" Sasuke yelled back, completely breathless from the sparring he was currently having with his older brother. His father was watching them carefully to spot out their mistakes. Well, what he believed to be mistakes.

With a swift but gentle kick, Itachi was soon pinning his younger brother to the ground. He made sure not to hurt him.

Fugaku noticed this and scowled. "Itachi, if you treat him like a girl, he'll never grow," he told him.

Itachi stood up and shook his head in disagreement. "He's not a girl and even if he were, I'd treat him the same way. I can't hurt him, father. This is supposed to help him, not make him feel incompetent. I'm 13, he's 8. It's already an unfair fight – "

"It's not a fight. It's a sparring."

"Still – "

At that point, Sasuke stood up and walked out of the dojo. He could vaguely hear his father telling him to come back and his older brother asking him if he's ok but he continued to ignore them. Instead of going home to change, he took a detour to where he knew his friends would be.

* * *

"Shikamaru, how do you do this?"

"Naruto, I didn't even want to do my homework. I'm tired."

"But Shikamaru…," Naruto whined. He was sitting in a circle with his friends. They were supposed to be playing games and having fun but his mother warned him that if he didn't finish his homework, she'd punish him in front of all his friends. He shuddered at the thought of the threat.

Sakura came and sat in front of Naruto, taking his homework away from him. "You're an idiot. I'll help you just so we can play already," she mumbled.

Giving her a toothy grin, Naruto hugged her and said, "Thanks Sakura-chan!"

She shrugged him off and they got to work on completing his homework.

* * *

Sasuke stood in front of Naruto's house. He wasn't sure if he should go in or just go home. He felt a little pathetic. Here he was, somewhat seeking comfort from a big blonde goofball. Naruto was his best friend, there was no doubt about that, but he didn't want to become reliant on him. It made him feel weak, something his father continued to say occasionally at the dinner table, at the dojo, at home…

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind, he reached to knock on the door but it swung open before he could.

"Ok, ma'! I'm taking the trash out now!" Naruto yelled. He was dragging a big black garbage bag behind him and didn't realize Sasuke was in front of him until it was too late and tumbled on top of him.

"Naruto, are you al-" Minato, Naruto's father came running to the front door and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the two boys.

Naruto accidentally kissed Sasuke and they broke apart, spitting and wiping at their mouths. When Naruto realized his father was right behind him, he turned around and said, "It's not what it looks like, dad!"

Minato didn't answer. He stared for a moment longer before laughing. The two boys looked up at him in confusion, side eyeing each other afterwards.

"What's so funny, old man?" Naruto grumbled, picking up the garbage again.

"Nothing," he gave his son a smile before turning his attention to Sasuke. "And hello, Sasuke." With that, he turned back into the house and closed the door behind him.

Naruto watched Sasuke dust himself off before speaking. "I thought you had training today."

Sasuke avoided eye contact. "I'm done."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, giving Sasuke a dubious look but shrugged anyway. "Ok." He walked a little further until he reached the larger garbage can and tossed in the black bag. "Want to come upstairs? Sakura-chan and everyone else is here."

When Sasuke didn't answer, Naruto turned to look at him. He noticed his friend was looking down at his feet and had his hands clenched. He glanced up at the window of his room to make sure no one was looking before he approached Sasuke and wrapped his arms around the similar tiny frame.

"Is it your dad again?"

Sasuke slowly returned the hug and nodded into Naruto's shoulder.

"So I guess you don't want to see anyone else right now," Naruto said. It was more of a statement instead of a question. This wasn't the first time Sasuke came over when he was feeling down. Naruto was happy that he was the one Sasuke came to in his time of need but usually, it was when no one else was there except for Naruto's parents of course.

Sasuke didn't respond but Naruto could hear his shallow and slow breathing. He was calming down. He waited until Sasuke was breathing normally before grasping his hand and pulling him along, away from his home.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he was being dragged from the Uzumaki's front porch. "Where are we going?"

Naruto smiled. "Ramen? Unless there's somewhere else you rather be?"

Sasuke took a minute to think before grabbing Naruto's hand and pulling him along in a different location. Naruto let out a small yelp but did his best to keep up with Sasuke's pace.

They ran for at least 30 minutes before ending up in some secluded area in the forest. There was a little cave and Sasuke pulled Naruto with him until they sat inside of the cave. Naruto didn't want to seem rude but he gave Sasuke a look because he had no idea where they were or why.

Before Naruto could say anything, Sasuke spoke up. "It's my secret spot. Itachi and dad don't know about it."

Naruto made a low humming noise, letting Sasuke know he understood. It was getting dark though and Naruto wondered if it was a good idea to be running around in the middle of nowhere before dinner time.

"I don't want to go home."

Naruto turned to face Sasuke. "You can stay at my house. We can call your mom – "

"No!"

"But Sasuke, they'll be worried – "

"About me? I wouldn't be so sure." Sasuke curled up into a ball, his chin touching his knees.

Naruto's eyes softened. His hand slowly reached before landing on a small part of Sasuke's back.

"They do care."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, looking at a corner in the cave as if he became more interested in that then what they were speaking about.

"They're your parents, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head, uncurling himself to look at his best friend. "It doesn't matter to them. I'm all alone."

"Come on, Sasuke. You still have your friends," Naruto reminded him.

"Other than Sakura and Ino and their crushes on me, they're more your friends than mine."

Naruto didn't reply back. Suddenly the little stream near them seemed louder than it really was, filling up the silence. A few fireflies flew over the flowers near them and Sasuke focused all his attention on that, trying to push down how he was feeling. He really wanted to break down but that was the last thing he wanted to do in front of his best friend.

"You have me, don't you?"

Naruto's response took Sasuke by surprise. He shifted a little, not knowing how to respond to that.

He felt Naruto's hand slide on top of his, giving it a little squeeze.

"You'll always have me."

Sasuke couldn't hold back the tears then and let them fall. He also allowed Naruto to pull him into an embrace, his whole body shook with every sob that escaped him. He gripped the back of Naruto's shirt and buried his face in the blonde haired boy's shoulder.

When the sobs started to die down, Sasuke spoke. "Then," he paused, "Will you run away with me?"

Bewildered, Naruto pushed Sasuke up softly to look at his friend. He didn't realize how broken Sasuke looked until he finally got to see it then. The sobs were almost gone but the tears were still flowing and this was the first time Sasuke looked so vulnerable. He was usually calm and collected, stoic at times even. Hard to analyze as some people would say but yet, here he was, his emotions out in the open for the very first time. And Naruto had the pleasure of knowing he'd probably be the only one to know this side of him.

"I…," Naruto couldn't finish his sentence because he felt as if his whole thought process just stopped.

Taking it the wrong way, Sasuke stood up, rubbing furiously at his tears with his forearm. He started to walk out the shallow cave when Naruto grabbed his hand.

"Let me think!" Naruto said, a bit of anger seeping into his voice at Sasuke's reaction.

"Don't think," Sasuke said, pulling his hand away from Naruto's. He watched the conflicting emotions in his friend's eyes and then started walking off. He didn't want to wait for Naruto to tell him yes or no. If Naruto didn't follow him, that's all he needed to know.

When he was about to hop on the stepping stones across the pond, he felt a tug on the back of his shirt.

"I'll come with you."

Sasuke turned slowly to face Naruto. He analyzed the look on his face, searching for any signs of doubt. When he didn't see any he smiled and started hopping across the pond. He knew Naruto would follow.

And he did.

* * *

"What did you say to him?"

Mikoto and Fugaku were arguing in the living room. It was 10:00pm, well past Sasuke's curfew and he was nowhere to be found. They'd check the Uzumaki residence and even their son was missing. Minato went out to look for them and Fugaku sent Itachi with him.

"I didn't say anything. He's just a weak boy," Fugaku grounded out. He sat down at the table to take a sip of the tea he had prepared. He sipped it too soon, making a face when he felt the tip of his tongue burn.

Mikoto shook her head and sat down with him. "You need to show more compassion. He's only eight years old. He can't be on the level that Itachi is now," she chided him.

Fugaku snorted. "He's not on the level Itachi was when he was eight either. Face it, Mikoto. We've got ourselves a prissy boy."

"Fugaku!"

He was about to let Mikoto know that he was joking when the lights turned off.

Mikoto looked up before going to the light switch and flipping it on and off.

"Maybe something's wrong with the breaker?" She wondered aloud. She disappeared into the kitchen and Fugaku went to search for some flashlights in the bedroom. He bumped himself along the way, hurting his knee. He cussed under his breath but was happy to find a flashlight in the drawer. Flicking it on, he went in the direction of the kitchen.

"Mikoto, I found a flashlight. We should call the power company," he yelled out.

When he didn't get a response, he called out again. "Mikoto?"

He heard a pot fall in the kitchen and chuckled. "Mikoto, stop trying to scare me. And don't hurt yourself. I have a flashlight right here – "

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed the blood at the entry way to the kitchen. He tensed and flashed his light around the room he was currently in. He noticed nothing else out of place but reached for the iron near the fireplace. He slowly made his way into the kitchen where he saw his wife lying on the floor. And she wasn't moving.

"Mikoto…?" He said exasperated. He dropped the iron bar and ran to his wife, checking for a pulse. He was glad to know she still had one.

But then he heard footsteps and before he could look up, he was hit in the head with a blunt object, causing him to pass out next to his wife.

* * *

"Naruto! Sasuke!"

Naruto grumbled as he tried to rollover a little but realized another body was stopping him from moving. He cracked open an eye and spotted raven hair on his chest.

He felt his face warm up a little, sort of embarrassed that his best friend was using him as a pillow. His heart was also starting to beat a little faster and he didn't want Sasuke to notice that. They had went in the little cave not long after Sasuke showed Naruto around the area. It began sprinkling and before it could be a full storm, they made it back to the cave. Feeling tired still, Naruto was about to lay back down and close his eyes when he heard his father's voice again. He previously thought it was just a dream.

"Naruto! Where are you?"

"Sasuke!" That was Itachi.

Naruto rose up and started shaking at Sasuke's shoulder, urging him to wake up. He received a groan and a small slap to his hand in return.

"Sasuke, wake up!" he whispered. "Your brother and my dad are looking for us!"

Sasuke was awake then. He opened his eyes and noticed he was on his best friend's chest. "Oh…," he mumbled. He looked up at his friend's face, his cheeks heating up and his eyes averting the blue gaze. He sat up and noticed he was drooling a little, wiping it away.

"I'm sorry for using you as a pillow," Sasuke apologized genuinely.

Naruto stood up, wiping at his pants. "It's fine. I didn't mind." He grinned at him.

Sasuke smiled back but before he could answer, they both squinted at the flashlights that made it their way. Holding those flashlights were Minato and Itachi, both in raincoats and boots. Minato looked relieved at the sight of the two boys while Itachi looked less than pleased. He walked up to Sasuke and helped his little brother up off the makeshift bed him and Naruto created out of larger leaves they found near the cave.

"Why would you just run away like that?" Itachi scolded him, voice low but firm. "You worried mom and dad."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, looking up at his big brother, hoping for forgiveness. He knew Itachi wouldn't stay mad at him for long and he heard the underlying words. Itachi was also worried even though he didn't mention it out loud, Sasuke got the message.

Minato waited for Itachi and Sasuke to finish their exchange before telling the group they were headed back to the Uchiha's mansion. He handed Sasuke and Naruto each an umbrella.

Xxxx

"I'm glad you two are ok but next time, talk to someone instead of running away. You had us worried sick," Minato was just finishing a lecture mostly aimed at his son but didn't forget to include Sasuke. It had stopped raining along the way, thankfully so they got to the Uchiha resident a lot quicker than they originally thought.

"I'm sorry, dad," Naruto said, looking down at his feet.

"It's not his fault. It was my idea," Sasuke said.

They had finally approached the front door of the Uchiha mansion when he realized it was eerily quiet and the lights were out.

"Would your parents go to bed this early?" Minato asked Itachi who shook his head slowly.

He pushed Naruto and Sasuke behind him. "Wait here…" Sasuke's eyes were wide, his face filled with fear and anxiety and Naruto held his hand.

Minato hesitantly knocked on the door and then realized it was already opened. Pulling out his flashlight, he looked at Itachi who also pulled out his and they both made their way through the front door, quietly. Minato cursed internally, not expecting the best result from this.

He and Itachi checked each room before reaching the master bedroom. He gave Itachi a look, who only nodded before he kicked open the door and the sight that greeted them was less than pleasant.

"Oh my god…" Minato whispered. Itachi was trembling at the sight, eyes wide in fear, tears threatening to pour out.

"Who could have…," Itachi started before he heard a small gasp behind them. He swiveled around, spotting his younger brother who had followed them despite Naruto's protests and attempts to drag Sasuke back outside.

"Mommy?" Sasuke whispered quietly. "Dad?"

Naruto stood there, completely shocked. His father picked him up and covered his eyes, not wanting his son to see the gruesome scene. He stood in front of the younger Uchiha, trying to shield him as well even though it was too late.

"Sasuke, we need to go back outside – "

He wasn't able to finish when the little raven haired boy pushed him out of the way and collapsed next to his parents' bodies.

"Mommy! Dad! Wake up!" He yelled hysterically, shaking his mother's shoulder. He realized then he was kneeling in a pool of blood. He also realized his parents weren't breathing.

And then it all went black for him.

* * *

 **This is dedicated to zerojouno who requested this fic. I'm sorry for the delay. I've really lost my touch with writing. I should get back into it.**

 **This has made me want to go and rewatch Naruto and get into NaruSasu again. :) Hope you all enjoyed it!**


End file.
